To know your sheep is to care for them. To understand their struggles, their progress, their walk with God, and even their names. Bishop Dag Heward-Mills has built his ministry on this fundamental truth—pastors must know their sheep.
This principle, simple as it sounds, has profound impact. In a time when ministry is often measured by social media presence and event attendance, Bishop Dag continues to emphasize relationship over reach. He teaches that it is not enough to stand before people once a week. A true shepherd walks with them through life.
His early years in ministry were marked by deep relational work. He spent time with members, visited homes, prayed for individuals, and made it his aim to know his flock personally. That habit has never changed. And through his example, thousands of other pastors have caught the same spirit.
Knowing the Sheep Like Jesus Did
Bishop Dag draws his understanding of pastoral care from the life of Jesus. He teaches that Jesus didn’t just teach the crowds—He knew His disciples. He spoke to them individually. He called them by name. He corrected, encouraged, and walked with them closely.
This is the model he has followed. He believes that every member matters, not just the visible ones. Not just the committed ones. Not just the gifted ones. Every soul is important to God—and therefore must be important to the pastor.
He teaches that knowing your sheep protects them. It allows you to sense when someone is drifting, when someone is hurting, or when someone is growing. A pastor who knows his sheep can guide them more accurately, love them more deeply, and lead them more effectively.
Training Pastors to Be Present
Bishop Dag’s leadership development has always included this principle: be present. You cannot know your people if you are absent. You cannot understand their lives if you are always far away. Presence matters. And not just physical presence—but emotional and spiritual presence.
He trains pastors to pay attention. To follow up after meetings. To make time for one-on-one conversations. To care enough to know the names of their members, their situations, their testimonies. He teaches that pastors who are too busy to know their sheep are too busy to lead them properly.
This has created a powerful effect across his churches. Members do not feel like numbers. They feel known. They feel seen. And that makes them more open to receive counsel, correction, and care.
A Ministry Built on Relationship
The ministry of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is deeply relational. His strength is not only in his preaching or writing—it is in how he connects. He doesn’t lead from a distance. He doesn’t hide behind a title. He walks with his people, and he teaches others to do the same.
He believes that when pastors know their sheep, churches become families. They become places of healing and growth. They become safe places where people can become all that God has called them to be.
Through his life and teachings, Bishop Dag reminds the Church that shepherding is not just about feeding—it is about knowing. And when a shepherd knows his sheep, the sheep thrive under his care.